Variable-depth loom



Nov. 3, 1959 G. EGLI 2,911,012

VARIABLE-DEPTH LOOM Filed NOV. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 3, 1959 G. EGLI 2,911,012

VARIABLE-DEPTH LOOM Filed Nov. 25, 1955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U ited States Patent O 2,911,612 VARIABLE-DEPTH LooM Gerhard Egli, Ruti-Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Ruti Machinery Works Ltd., formerly Caspar Honegger, Zurich, Switzerland Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 549,092

Claims priority, application Switzerland December '17, 1954 '8 Claims. (Cl. 139-1) In fabric weaving looms, on the one hand an endeavour is made to have the depth as small as possible in order to save space, while on the other hand a large depth of loom is desirable so that the loom may also take a suitable large number of harness-frames. By depth is meanta horizontal dimension of the loom extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the warp. threads. With conventional looms therefore an optimum depth had to be chosen by guesswork. Since fabrics often are manufactured which require a difierent, and especially greater, number of harnesses, it is necessary to be able tov convert the loom to accommodate various numbers of harness-frames. But with .existinglooms such conversion is possible only at great expense of labor and material, inasmuch as for this purpose essential.

structural parts must be exchanged for'others, in particular the loom sides of the frame. Thus it became necessary to keep a large stock of different parts, which not only rendered the manufacture of the loom more expensive, but also made the keeping of stocks more diificult. I

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a loom in which the depth of the harness-frame space maybe altered at any time, without any other structural elements whatever having to be replaced or exchangedfor others.

According to the invention this is essentially accomplished in that at least one of the structural elements limiting the depth of the harness space is adjustably and fixably arranged in the depth direction of the loom. This structural element is by preference-the longitudinal traverse of the loom frame limiting the harness space to the rear, or the loom shaft connected to the drive of the loom, oreven these two elements together. By longitudinal"is meant a horizontal directionextending at right angles to the warp threads' and parallel to the axes of the warp beam and the cloth beam. By fron is meant the end of the loom where the breast beam and cloth take-up beam are located, and by .rear is meant the opposite end where the warp beam is located. The conversion is therefore only made by means of the structural parts already present on the loom.

Further features of the invention will appear from the claims, specification and drawing which latter represents by way of example a preferred embodiment of the loom incorporating the invention.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic cross-section, and

Fig. 2 is a semi-diagrammatic top view of a part of the loom;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 1 but with the harness space widened in the depth direction as compared with Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed elevational sectional view of an alternate embodiment wherein the hollow traverse is slidably adjustable in the depth direction of the loom;

Fig. 5 is a detailed elevational sectional view of an- 2,911,012 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 2 other embodiment of traverse wherein the traverse is an open angle iron member; 7

Fig. 6 is a detailed elevational sectional view of another embodiment wherein the hollow traverse is pivotally connected to the loom for movement in the depth direction thereof; and I Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the bearing of the loom shaft on the loom-sides.

The loom as illustrated includes a stand 1 (shown diagrammatically) formed of frame members and has arranged thereon in the usual manner the warp beam 2, a guide roller 3 for the warp 4, the so-called breast beam 5, and the cloth beam'6 for the finished fabric 7. Said parts are supported in bearings on the loom-sides 8 which close the loom frame at the sides and are held together by longitudinal traverses. Of the latter, the longitudinal traverse 9 limiting the harness space at the back end has a hollow, approximately circular cross-section and is passed through by the loom shaft 10 connected to the drive mechanism. Toward the front, the harness space is limited by the rearmost position of the lay 12 which can pivotally swing about rocker shaft 11. The warp beam 2 lies on a' bearing 13 having several spaced notches 14 in the uppersurface thereof for providing the various warp beam bearing positions. The total depth of the loom is determined by the cloth beam 6 and the warp beam 2. In order to keep this depth as small as possible, the warp beam is supported as close as possible to the longitudinal traverse 9, and in fact, as much as the diameter of the wound warp 4'will permit, in the foremost bearing notch 14.

According to the position of the parts as in Fig. 1, the depth S of the harness space remaining between the longitudinal traverse 9 and the lay 12 is relatively small and offers space for only two harness-frames 15.

Now in order to be able to alter the depth of the harness space, the longitudinal traverse 9 is adjustable in the depth direction. To that eifect it has ateach end a cranked connecting portion 16 with "a flange 17 (Fig. 2) by means of which it is attached by four screws 18 to each of the loom sides 8. A centering-piece 19 with a cylindrical or slightly tapered fitting surface rests in a suitable recess in the loom sides 8 and is adapted to center the connecting piece 16 in each turned position.

The screws 18 are arranged at the corner points of ,a

square; in this way the traverse 9 may be turned through 7,

Fig. 3 shows the greatest harness space depth S of the loom, at which the traverse 9 is in itsrear end position. The warp beam 2 is thereby placed on its rearmost bearing not ch 14, from which it appears that the total loom depth" becomes greater as the harness space increases. Depending on the dimensions of the traverse 9 and of the connecting piece 16, the differences in the harness space depth become smaller or greater. Accordingly different harness space depths may be chosen as suitable for definite numbers of harness-frames. The greatest depth shown in Fig. 3, for instance, provides space for four harness-frames 15. The cranking of the connecting pieces 16 is preferably such that the inner wall of the traverse 9 nearly touches the loom shaft 10.

The traverse may, however, be displaced by other means. According to Fig. 4 the hollow traverse 20 is formed as a continuously straight tubular member having end flanges 21 which are adjustably mounted on the loom sides 8. Forthis purpose each of the flanges 21 has elongated holes 22, the length of which corresponds to the degree of displacement of the traverse with respect to the loom shaft 10 which rotates in fixed bearings.

By means of bolts 23 the traverse may he firmly held in any depth position. As compared with the arrangement shown in Figs. 1-3, this embodiment involves the advantage of stepless displaceability. It is understood that the elongated holes could, also be provided on the loom sides 8 and the fixing bolts fixedly mounted on the flanges 21. I

Alternatively, instead of a closed hollow traverse, one made of an open sectional iron 26 could be provided as shown in Fig. 5, with the flanges 27 firmly bolted'to the loom sides in one or the' other of two positions rotated 180 apart with respect to each' other. If the screw holes 28 are at the corner points of a square, also with this embodiment four different positions of turning would be possible, and thus three different shaft space depths. The loom shaft 10 would then also be rotatably supported in bearings fixed to the loom sides.

In a further modified form according to Fig. 6,'the hollow traverse 30 is supported at each end on a rocker 31 which can swing through a certain angle about a pivot 32 fixed on the loom side. The rocker 31 may then be firmly screwed to the loom side in any one of three different angular positions, the distance between the screw holes 33 being equal to the distance between any of two positions of the rocker.

For altering the harness space depth, however, it may also be possible to' have the loom shaft displaceably arranged together with the longitudinal traverse. design is shown in Fig. 7. The longitudinal traverse 4i and the loom shaft 41 are each supported at both ends in a flange 42 which can be firmly screwed tothe loom side in'two diiferent positions. be transmitted from the auxiliary shaft 43' by means of driving gear 44 and pinion 45 to the loom shaft 41, the positions being chosen in such a way thatthe' drive gear 44' maintains its position for either setting of the flange.

This solution may also be adopted in those cases where the harness space is directly limited not by the traverse, but by the loom shaft itself. As compared with the design as in Fig. 7, the longitudinal traverse 40 would accordingly be omitted, whereby the'gearwheel 45 could be kept correspondingly smaller, and the shaft 43 arranged further toward the rear of the loom to increase the eflfective depth of the loom.

The aforedescribed and illustrated loom-- has the advantage that the depth of the harness space may be altered at any time and the loom thus is suited to different numbers of harness-frames, Without having to exchange the loom sides or any other structural elements of the loom for other elements for that purpose. As a result, the manufacture of the 100m will be cheapened and the keeping of stocks of spare parts simplified accordingly.

What I claim is:

1. A loom for weaving fabrics comprising a frame having loom sides, a warp beam rotatably mounted be- Such The drive would then tween said loom sides, a lay secured to said frame and spaced from said warp beam in the depth direction of the loom, a traverse structural member secured between said loom sides adjacent said warp beam intermediate said warp beam and said lay to establish a harness space between said lay and said traverse member, at least two harness-frames within theharness space, and means for adjusting said traverse member in the depth direction of the loom with respect to said lay to vary the harness space sothat the number of harness-frames may be varied as desired, said warp beam being also laterally adjustable in the depth direction of said loom. v

2. A loom as defined in claim 1 wherein said traverse structural member is provided with crank portions at either end thereof, and said traverse member adjusting means includes flange means on said crank portions for detachably securing said traverse to said loom sides so that said traverse member is angularly adjustable with respect to the axis of connection of said flanges to said loom sides. 7

3-. A loom as defined in claim 2 wherein each flange is mounted tothe respective loom side by 'four bolts the axes of which pass through the corner points of a square.

4. A loom as defined in claim 1- wherein said traverse member adjusting means comprises flanges at each end of said traverse member, saidflanges having. horizontal elongated holes therein, and bolt means in said loom sides whereby said flanges and said traverse member are horizontally displaceable with respect to said lay.

-5. A loom' as defined in claim 1 wherein said traverse member has flanges at each end thereof, said flanges having centers located horizontally outside of the'center of theprofile' of said traverse member, and saidtraverse member adjusting'member includes means for detachably securing said flanges to' said loom sides in 'one or the other of two positions displaced by with respect to each other. I

6. A loom as defined in claim 1 wherein said traverse member adjusting means includes rocker members at either end of said traverse pivotally mounted to the respective loom sides.

7. A loom as defined in claim 1 including a loom drive shaft adjustably secured between said loom sides for displacement with respect to said lay in the depth direction of the loom.

8. A loom as defined in claim 7 including an auxiliary power input shaft parallel to said loom shaft,- and gear-- 1,672,773 1,911,981 Wiget May 30 1933 2,504,939 Tuten Apr. 18, 1950 Parker June 5, 1928" 

